Color theory
by Jem Doe
Summary: Scorpius spoke in red, Albus in blue and Rose in gold, and he wondered why they hadn't done that before.
1. Chapter 1

It's not that Scorpius was nervous for his first year at Hogwarts. It's just that he's not sure if he can make any friends, if socialize _at all_. He wasn't the best person for that kind of thing.

As such, he sat alone in his compartment, distractedly reading a book, when the door opened. He rose his eyes, and found two people staring back at him - one green eyed and dark haired, another red haired and brown eyed.

"Hey, are you alone here?", asked a voice, softly blue.

"Can we sit?", asks the girl, yellow and sharp. "Everywhere else is full."

The first thing Scorpius learns about Albus is that his voice is blue, like the sea, and that Rose's is golden, like daffodils, but he doesn't know their names _yet_. The information, whoever, made Scorpius wonder if, perhaps...

"Yes, I am. Would you two like to sit?", it's his reply, and Scorpius, speaking in bright blood red, wonders if this is some sign that maybe they all should be friends. The colours match, after all. It's probably a sign of _something_.

They looked at each other - and Scorpius wondered if he has done something wrong - before nodding, sliding in and sitting opposite to Scorpius.

"So, what's your name?", the boy whose name, at the moment, Scorpius doesn't know, asks, and the girl elbows him. They looked vaguely familiar. "I'm Albus, and this is…"

"I'm Rose, and you can call him Al, everyone does,", she replied, with a smile. So that was why they were familiar - Albus was Harry Potter's son, and Rose was the daughter of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He nodded internally.

"I'm Scorpius.", the girl simply nodded, the trio starting to chat - and just when Scorpius was almost sure he had made friends, the boy jumped in his seat.

"You're - you're Draco Malfoy's son!", he said, a shell-shocked blue tint in his words, and Rose rolled her eyes.

"You course, you genius, he is. At least now we know you won't be going to Ravenclaw.", Rose turned her eyes to Scorpius, sharp yellow turning mellow. "Sorry about him."

"Yeah, sorry. I mean, it's not like you're going to do anything you dad did... Right?", Albus scratched the back of his neck, and Rose sighed loudly. Scorpius smiled. "So, what's that book about?"

Scorpius happily started explaining.

Hours later, Scorpius was Sorted into Ravenclaw, Albus into Slytherin, and Rose into Gryffindor, and during breakfast in the following morning, Scorpius couldn't help but complain that Albus should have been a Hufflepuff to match the theme they had going on.

"What?", Rose asked, pointing a fork in Scorpius' direction, curious golden. "What colour scheme?"

Scorpius scratched his head. He had no idea how to give a precisa answer, but still.

"I have synesthesia. It's this neural condition where my brain sees colour when it hears stuff. Basically. There's more to it, but..."

They look at each other and nod, and Scorpius wondered what colour their silent conversation might have been. Maybe green, soft and quiet like a grassy hill.  
"That's so cool,", Albus said, brightly blue like the sky, sealing their friendship.

"Yeah, what colours are the teachers' voices?", asked Rose, grinning in a sunny gold, and Scorpius speaks in red about others people's colours.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're doing it wrong,", Scorpius whispered to Albus, during class. Second year, so far, was proving itself to be a breeze. "Your blue is too faded because you're saying it wrong."  
Albus' eyebrows rose, but he nods, green eyes looking at Scorpius' actually working transfiguration, and grinned.  
"Alright, then correct me until it looks right,", Albus said, and his grin infects Scorpius too.

Classes with wandwork were easy to Scorpius, because all he needed to do was match his red with the teacher's colours, giving him a spell that works as demonstrated. Rose and Albus found it really cool, but Rose huffed in their shared classes when he explains why she can't make the spell work. Albus just rolled his eyes at that, used to her mood.  
"It's from her mother,", he said once, like it made sense. Scorpius just shrugged, and let Rose have the upper hand when it comes to classes with little to no spellwork, like Potions and Astronomy, where Scorpius can't use his little trick to aid him. A potion or a star have no use of spells or voice, and as such, Scorpius utterly failed at them. It was just his luck Rose was good at these subjects, and didn't mind teaching him.

"No, no, you're using your star chart wrong,", Rose whispered to him, while Albus, by her side, stifled an yawn. "You keep pinning Jupiter in the place of Saturn, and that's messing up your whole chart."

Scorpius grinned and thanked her, and made sure to put the planets in its proper positions.  
Albus, meanwhile, was good with DADA, and helped Scorpius solve his issues with the spells - _focus_ and _intent_ where never his strong suit, not when the colours on people's shouted spells looked so different. He couldn't help but admire his friend's colours, Albus' blue strong and alive, Rose's golden vicious and clear as day as the cast spell after spell, practicing until it was perfect. It's so terrifyingly pretty Scorpius is frozen in place, and remembered seconds after that he, too, was supposed to cast spells.

His red looks bright and vivacious, and it's so beautiful to see it joining colours with his friends'. Scorpius almost gets frozen again, just watching, but he figures that they need him to make the different shades, too, and that's enough for now.


	3. Chapter 3

His sister came to Hogwarts with Albus' and Rose's siblings, and the trio was a _menace_. Scorpius grind his teeth and tried to unstick himself from the wall he currently was stuck to. Albus, bound by his feet to the ceiling, seems peaceful, but his snores in soft blue gave his fainting away.

Rose's eyes scrutinized them, and he sort of wanted to plead for help. His pride didn't let him, trying to squirm away. His pride, however, was quickly dying.  
"Do I _want_ to ask how that happened?", she asked, caustic gold, and Scorpius would have shrugged if not bound. Her hair was currently wild and green, which was unusual. That was new, but he had decided that mentioning it would probably make him stay bound longer. "No, wait, let me guess. Lily, Hugo, Persie?"  
"Correct. Could you _please_ let us go? I fear that Al might be getting too much blood in his head.", his red was pale, almost pink, and Rose grinned, as if she could see the colour too. "Please don't let Al fall - _sorry_ , you just did let him fall on his head."  
"It's not like he is going to lose anything important,", she shrugged, moving near him, and Scorpius bit back a laugh.

Albus was laying on the floor, still fast asleep, and Rose unbounded him more carefully, letting him fall on his feet, near Albus' head, picking Scorpius by the hand, her touch lingering one second more than what was appropriate. He curiously touched Albus' head with his feet, and when Albus groaned, Scorpius nodded to Rose, who sighed.  
"Was it Persie?", he asked, deciding to send a letter to his parents, to try and see if that could be, perhaps, curbed a little. Rose shook her head, casually reviving Albus.  
"Lily, actually. I thought I had closed my trunk well, but she somehow put dye on my shampoo.", Albus rose up with another groan, and Rose lightly punched his arm. "C'mon, sleepyhead, we're late for Divination."  
He had picked Divination out of curiosity, really, and even if his parents had found that a bit weird, Scorpius made sure to show them he still had picked too Arithmancy and Runes. Was it his fault he just wanted a class with both his friends? Scorpius didn't think so.  
"I'm going, calm down,", Albus muttered, throwing himself between the two, arms around their shoulders, and Scorpius ignored the blush on his face. He could definitely process that at a later date, but right now, Scorpius just wanted to enjoy that weird, foreign feeling.


	4. Chapter 4

Fourth year made Scorpius wonder if he was _blind_ before it. How come he hadn't noticed his friends were - wel, gorgeous? Albus' putting his hair back with one hand while flying makes Scorpius' heart hammer in his chest just like seeing Rose's face filled with concentration while she carefully pours snake oil into the potion, and if Scorpius wanted to kiss them - well, can he be blamed?  
Even his red - stable and firm - gets mangled when he speaks with them, coming weaker and stronger all at once. It's just his luck that he notices that Rose and Albus' colours do the same when speaking with him and each other, and Scorpius wondered, picking up a book someone left behind in the Common Room, sputtering to himself when he noticed that he had accidentally picked a romance novel about - _hold up._ Does the cover have _three_ people in it? This might be relevant to his current situation.  
Books left behind in the Common Room belonged to everyone, he reasoned as he pocketed the book for _later studies_ , and everyone included confused teenagers like him. _Right?_ So if Scorpius not so subtly ran to his room, well, it's because he had a sudden need to study, like any other good Ravenclaw. Didn't his homework need to be worked on, anyway?  
The book, as Scorpius found hours later (homework ignored), is very informative, and he sort of wished he'd be able to smother himself. Could he act on his feelings, like Leo had with Aureus and Azalea? With a sigh, he carefully threw the book away, and putting a pillow on his face, started opening his robes, deciding that he might as well make use of some of the more steamy scenes for, er, _research_.  
" _Ouch_?", Albus' voice hissed, and he took the pillow out of his face to see Albus and Rose in his doorstep, blushing. On Rose's hand, the book that had made his head spin, still spinning as he sat down. "So, won't invite us in?"  
The two of them were dressed in pajamas, _something_ shimmering in Albus' hands, but Scorpius ignored it. He was more confused by another other thing.  
"As soon as I know how you two got in, yeah?", he replied, the red in his voice bright and filled with lust. He wanted to slap himself, but was thankful the two of them couldn't see it.  
"I'm good with riddles,", Rose said, elbowing Albus and letting herself in, plopping down in his bed,", and do me a favor and give me some space."  
He scooted away from her, at the same time Albus sat down, resting his head on Scorpius' shoulder, arms circled around his waist, and Rose put her hand on his, leaning in.  
There was a pause on the air, colours fading for a moment. Scorpius cleared his throat.  
"Are you two going to sleep over?"  
"What do you think this _is_ , dumbass?", replied Rose. Scorpius smiled, Albus' laugh on his skin making him shiver. "How are you even a Ravenclaw?"  
The three of them sleep together, limbs tangling together, and before Scorpius fell asleep, he thought to himself, _this is nice_.


	5. Chapter 5

"Watching you, one would think _you_ were the Ravenclaw,", Albus' said, lazily drawing on Scorpius' naked back with his fingers and making trails of fire on his skin. It's too warm out, so they had decided to study for the O.W.L.S on the _supposedly_ cooler Slytherin dorm, but it's still too warm to concentrate properly. Albus and Scorpius had took off their shirts to try and see if it got any cooler, but alas.  
"Yeah, Rosie, relax,", Scorpius drawled, splayed around, having quitted studying for the moment, watching Albus' shirtless form through the reflex on the glass. He thanked Merlin the lake was dark coloured.  
Rose, who was wearing a short summer dress, huffed, eyes fixed on the pages in front of her.  
"Well, _sorry_ I have to study, you two pricks,", she hissed, closing the books and laying on top of Scorpius, her weight familiar and comfortable. " _Why_ it's so hot..."  
"Global warming?", Albus suggested, his fingers leaving Scorpius' skin to doodle on Rose's arm, and the thin dress wasn't enough to make Scorpius not feel like it would be to touch her skin. Rose shot Albus a murderous look.  
"Do you even _know_ what global warming is, stupid?", she asked, rising up a little, and Albus shrugged, putting the quill Rose had let go behind his ear. She laid back again, and Scorpius sighed as Albus laid on top of Rose. "Let go, you're too hot!"  
"Thanks, you too,", Albus replied, Scorpius watching as Rose blushed, and Scorpius laughed until Albus' eyes turned to him. "You too, Scorp, don't be jealous."  
That shut him up, the warm shade of blue coming from Albus' mouth shocking him. Was he... _Reciprocated_? Merlin, that was just like in his romance novels. He tried to ask himself what would Leo do, but came up with nothing.  
"Aww, you made Scorpius short-circuit,", Rose pouted, making Scorpius blush. "It's kind of cute, really."  
"You never call _me_ cute, Rose,", Albus pouted, and she giggled, her laugh reverberating through him.  
"You're _both_ cute.", she decided.  
The three of them fell into comfortable silence, only noticing when they fell asleep when Lily and Persie woke them up screaming, throwing water balloons at them, and the trio scrambled to move away, soaking wet.  
"Persephone Malfoy, what is this?!", Scorpius hissed, at the same time Albus asked Lily the same question, noticing Hugo behind them, holding a bucket filled with balloons. Rose simply glared at her little brother.  
Persie sniffed, faking worry, and Scorpius kept staring at her.  
"I saw a half naked cuddle pile, big brother, and I called Lils and Hugo to check out if my brother's purity was still intact."  
"I'm half worried you entered the male dorm and half tempted to send a letter to our parents,", he decided, frowning, feeling the water trickle down his back. Persie looked at him with a glare in her dark eyes, and he knew nothing good was coming out of her mouth from that point onwards.

"You do that, and I tell dad _exactly_ what about the books you ordered were about. And yes, I'm talking about the trashy romance novels,", Persie declared, crossing her arms.

"You wouldn't _dare_."

"I, too, thought the way Leo touched Azalea - ", she started, way too loud, attracting the rest of the group's attention, and Scorpius clamped Persie's mouth shut, hissing he wouldn't send any letters about this.

The problem trio leaves the older trio in the dorm soaking wet, laughing like nothing happened. Albus sighs, passing a hand through his wet hair, and Scorpius does his best to not stare at both, Rose drying their books with spell after spell, gold in her mouth bright and shiny like the sun.

"How did even they _get_ balloons…?", Albus muttered, worried blue, and the two of them joined her, their colours mixing, forming greens and purples and oranges and blacks, all of varying hues to the point Scorpius' head swam. Their colours make prettier colours together, and that's enough for now.


	6. Chapter 6

Scorpius is accosted by Roxanne Weasley, Rose and Albus' cousin who is going for her first year, and blinks when she speaks in Slytherin green. That's _odd_. Weasleys, in his brief experience, don't go much for green.

"Hey, you're Scorpius, right?", she asked, and Scorpius nodded, wondering if that means anything. She took a candy box from her pocket, _Cupid Confit_ written in pink calligraphy, box an obnoxious shade of pink, decorated with little hearts and fat angels in diapers. He frowned at it, but accepts whatever that wa anyway. "Thanks! Do tell me what happened later."

Before he can speak, Roxanne and her Slytherin words skip away, and Scorpius pockets the candy, deciding he can share them with Albus and Rose later, when the train is on its path to Hogwarts, going to find his friends/crushes, engaging in small chat about their summers as they found a compartment to themselves, trying his best to not ogle the small sliver of belly Albus showed when he put his trunk up, nor the way Rose's skirt rode up when she sat carelessly with her feet on his lap, Albus head laying on his shoulders, and it takes all of Scorpius' concentration to not spontaneously combust.

When he hears the candy lady come near with her oddly grey voice, he remembered the candy Roxanne gave him, and offered to the two of them, picking up one himself - it's heart shaped and purple. Scorpius figures there's probably nothing wrong, eating one as Albus passed Rose the box.

As soon as Rose ate it, however, the world goes out of focus, slightly pink hues being added to it, and by Albus' confused gasp, he's not the only one. Scorpius' is about to ask what's going on when he feels Rose sit up, and plucks him by his collar to kiss him, and Scorpius allows himself to melt into it, and when he separates, Scorpius only has a moment to catch his breath before Albus speaks.

"Don't leave me hanging, Rose,", muttered Albus, blue hazy and filled with desire, before pulling Scorpius' to his side and kissing him too.

Kissing Rose was like sinking into the sea, and kissing Albus, hearing from far away Rose mutter privacy spells, is like flying into the sky. He wonders how the two feel kissing each other, but his thoughts flow away as they turn their attentions with hungry eyes and mouths, to him.

When _whatever_ that candy was faded, the train was stopping, Scorpius' lips are swollen, and he's wearing less clothes than what was ideal to wear in public. Just like his luck, so are his two best friends, and while he can remember hazily what happened in the past hours, Scorpius _really_ wished his memories could be less hazy.

"So,", he started, picking the candy box from the floor, and turning it so he could read what was behind. Scorpius frowned, barely being able to read the words _natural aphrodisiac_ when a half-dressed Rose snatched it from his hand, eyes blazing through the lines.

"I am _so_ killing Roxy tomorrow.", she said, caustic gold, before picking her shirt from the pile their clothes seemed to have gone, buttoning her shirt up. "Alright, we're talking this over tomorrow, your room, Scorp, during lunch. Got it?"

"Are you sure it's a good idea?, asked Albus, cautious blue. Rose rolled her eyes, buttoning her shirt up quickly.

"No, but shut up, we're late.", she hissed, acid gold, as she puts up her skirt, watching Albus dress up as well.

They aren't late _per se_ , but the two of them obey her, try to tame their now tousled hairs, and flee to the Great Hall to watch Roxanne Weasley become a Slytherin. It's not a surprise to Scorpius, at least.

The next day, Albus eats breakfast in the Slytherin table, and Rose goes straight for Gryffindor, sitting by Lily's side, with Hugo in front of her. Lunch is more of the same, but Rose speaks with Roxanne in low, hushed tones, and Albus playfully messes with Lily and whoever is her newest boyfriend. Scorpius sighed, pushing his food around, and doesn't notice when Molly sits in front of him.

"Did you fight with my cousins?", she spoke in cool orange, calm and calculated, notebook filled with writing in hands. Scorpius shrugged."Because according to my notes, today at breakfast you were supposed to eat in Gryffindor, and then the two were supposed to join you here. What was the fight about?"

Scorpius is about to ask her _why in Merlin's name is she taking notes on their eating habits_ when Lorcan Scamander leans in, green eyes filled with mischief. Scorpius tried and failed to decipher them, but then, he was best with voices.

"No, Molly, it's something else,", he says in forest green husky, putting one hand on top of Scorpius', and the boy in question looked to it with a faint blush creeping on his face. Lorcan chuckled, eyes darting to the direction of the Gryffindor table, and Molly followed his line of sight for one brief moment before nodding, picking a quill from behind her ear and annotating something. Scorpius looked behind him, feeling someone boring holes in both his back and front, and found Albus' looking at him and to Lorcan. Looking to the front, Rose did something similar.

He could see the colours in the Great Hall die down, silence reigning as everything came to a standstill.

"Hm, looks like this isn't enough. Do forgive my manners, Scorpius, but I am having fun,", Lorcan whispered, theatrical, rising up slightly to pick up Scorpius' hand and kiss his knuckles tenderly. _Too_ tenderly.

Scorpius started to try and ask Lorcan what the hell he was doing when he heard the twin, violently green, sound of people rising up forcefully, looking up and seeing Rose approaching in quick yellow steps, Albus in blue ones. Lorcan winked to him as Albus put his hands possessively over Scorpius shoulders, and let go, hands in the air, when Rose pointed his wand at his neck.

"Scorp, maybe we should go and have that talk, huh?", Rose said, furious gold, and Scorpius, nodding, heard Headmaster Longbottom try and stop them, but Madam Longbottom shushed him.

However, as soon as Scorpius rose up, Albus just turned him and dipped into a kiss, and Scorpius wasn't sure if the fireworks were in his head or if they came from the roaring crowd of the Great Hall. Merlin, the metaphor was terrible. But they sounded so nice in his romance novels.

When they separated, Rose casted a mild Stinging Hex in Albus, and stepped over the table to meet them as Scorpius tried to calm his heart, plopping down in the floor and putting her wand in her pocket.

"You overdramatic sanctimonious bastard,", she hissed to her cousin, pulling Scorpius once again by his collar to kiss him, and he fell from the sky into the dark depths of the ocean.

Albus laughed at something, and when Scorpius returned to surface, the trio held hands and _ran._ Scorpius could hear _fireworks_ , voices loud and boisterous and colorful, fading away as they went to the Ravenclaw Tower, which while not closer, was the only one where they could have some modicum of privacy. Rose answered the riddle ("what is harder to catch the faster you run?" "listen, I'd normally play along but today I have an inclination to hex you off."), and they made a run to the room he had called his since first year, closing the door with all the spells he could remember while Rose and Albus catched their breath. When Scorpius was done, however, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath before opening them again, and turned to face his two best friends, deciding to sit on his bed.

"So,", he started, plopping down, taking off his shoes. "What do we start by? By what happened on the train or by what just happened?"

Rose sighed and sat by his right, Albus assuming his left.

"Uncle George is producing an aphrodisiac that only works between people in love with each other, and it apparently lowers inhibitions while raising libido, which explains what happened on the train,", she started, tired and gold, a hand going through her hair as Albus drummed in his leg. "And apparently, she gave it to you because, and I quote, 'we were a bunch of dumbasses who couldn't see the chemistry'."

Silence hung in the air, thick and heavy.

"So…", Albus started, leaning into Scorpius, playing with his own tie, loosening it. "What are we supposed to do about it? I mean, we like each other, you guys like me, great!, Literally everyone knows, great! What now?"

Scorpius had an idea. It was a bad one, because he had read it in one of the trashy romance novels, but it was something. He kissed Albus and then Rose, and the two of them grinned.

Scorpius spoke in red, Albus in blue and Rose in gold, and he wondered why they hadn't done that before.

"How about we live until our parents kill us?", because they would. Scorpius just _knew_ his dad would raise a fuss.

"I quite like your idea, Scorp,", Rose started unbuttoning her shirt, and the two boys were quick to follow her example, clothes quickly flying off his bed. ", because let's be realistic, we'll be dead in two days anyway."

The Howler from Molly Weasley actually comes in during breakfast the following morning, when Scorpius is trying to adjust his collar so that the hickeys he has won't show _too_ much while Rose plays footsie with him and Albus under the table, a comfortable grey hum in the background as the owls swoop in.

"Uh oh,", Albus says, looking at the red angry letter, and Scorpius stops fussing for a second as his father's owl gives him two letters. He looks at Persie, and the girl frowns at him, eyes going to Lorcan, who seems to be having _too_ much fun with this. Rose sighed, opening the Howler.

" _ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER AND ROSE HELSIN WEASLEY, HOW DARE YOU BE DATING EACH OTHER AND ANOTHER BOY?_ ", the woman's brightly white voice screamed. Scorpius mouthed to Rose "your middle name is _Helsin_?", and she stuck her tongue out at him, picking up a letter from her mom. Scorpius decided to open the letter from his dad, first, and cracked the wax to find a very succinct letter.

 _As long as you plan to have at least one child, I don't care if you're dating Potter, Weasley, or both. Do use protection, son._

Huh. Scorpius thought he'd be killed, but blushed still. He sighed with relief, and opened his mother's thick letter, only to find several pieces of paper that he recognized - it was the genetic probability testing she did, with a small note clipped on top.

 _Listen, son,_ his mother's letter started, Molly Weasley congratulating Roxanne on being put in Slytherin, _do let me know if I'll have to be your children's doctor too._

Scorpius let his head fall on the table, and his father's owl pecked his head. Scorpius blindly picked up the plate of bacon and offered it to the animal, who hooted happily.

"Everything alright, Scorp?", asked Albus, one hand in his back.

"My parents think they're getting a grandchild next year,", he answered, taking a protest from Rose's lips as he rose his head. "You two alright?"

"My dad thinks I was seduced with love potions, and my mom says that if I don't answer this letter she's sending the Aurors to arrest you two. How do you think I'm feeling?", Rose put her head on her hands, and Lily, who was sitting near her, patted her back. "How did they even know?"

Scorpius looked to face Lorcan, who waved cheerily at him, and sighed.

"Aunt Luna, I'm guessing.", he turned to Albus, red vicious and dry. "Let me guess, I must have poisoned you two with Dark Magic."

Albus shrugged, not caring much.

"Eh, close. That's mom's theory, dad just thinks we're all being teenagers.", Albus touched Rose's arm. "Hey, Rosie, Scorp, I wouldn't worry too much. We got until the holidays to sort this out. I say we just make due with whatever time we got until there. Deal?"

It's a deal.

They spend their days like it's the last one, making out between classes and sneaking into Ravenclaw Tower at night to sleep together, to the point their wardrobes mixed into Scorpius', or just being lazy in each other's common room, Rose laid in both their laps reading a book, or Scorpius sandwiched between the two cousins in bed while kissing Albus and let Rose mark his neck and shoulders with bites, or Albus lazily splayed between the two as they sleep. Lily faked gagging whenever she saw Albus kissing either of the two, and Persie threw an occasional hex at the cousins for "making her brother fall from grace", whatever that meant, and Hugo, the eternal Hufflepuff, just sighed and gave them chocolates.

The holidays come, and the ride back is silent and filled with them kissing occasionally, whenever Persie, Lily, Hugo, Lorcan or the rest of the Weasleys weren't checking on them to see if they hadn't escaped to another country.

However, the train had to stop, eventually.

"Listen, Scorp,", started Persie, guilty silver, when the two walked slowly to their waiting parents,", if they try to blame you, I'll say it was my fault, okay?"

"What?", he asked, frowning, but kept a neutral face, aware of his parents' scrutiny,

"You can't be blamed by dating Albus and Rose. If they start to crack down on you, I'll say that I put a love potion keyed to them in your food.", by the look of her face, Persie had that plan for a while. "And _don't_ say you don't want my plan, I'll do it nonetheless, and Lily and Hugo have agreed on doing the same."

He blinked, surprised' and tousled his sister's perfect dark hair, the girl protesting.

"Thanks. That's very generous of you, Persie,", he whispered, as the two approached their parents, his dad looking at something behind him and his mom scrutinizing his tie. "Hello."

"Hello, son,", his dad replied, and Scorpius turned his head for a second to see Rose being taken away by her parents, Albus listening with a smile his mom hiss at him while his father sighed.

"Scorpius, your tie is crooked. Curiously enough, so is Albus'.", his mom said, fixing the tie with a spell while Scorpius blushed. "Anyway, don't we have a lot to talk about? Let's go."

They go, Persie's hand not leaving his own, the Apparition uncomfortable for a second before they arrived at the place he had called a home for almost his entire life. His parents told him to put his trunk in his room and meet him in the kitchen. Persie nodded to him, and Scorpius obeyed in silence, pausing to pick up the framed photo of the trio Dominique had took - Albus with his arms around Scorpius and Rose's shoulders, the three of them grinning for the camera and playing with each other.

He took a deep breath and went to face his parents, finding Persie sitting in the floor, near the door, and she gave him a thumbs up. Scorpius nodded and went to face his parents, the two of them sitting side by side, his father's fingers drumming on the table, his mother's eyes distant yet sharp. He sat in front of them and waited.

"Son, I must say, I am extremely concerned about this,", his father started, and took a deep breath. Scorpius steeled himself for whatever was to come. His mother started giggling, and his father tried to control the smile in his lips, which just made everything become confusing.

His mother assumed the conversation seamlessly.

"Scorpius, me and your father can't really care about the fact you're dating both of them, really. We saw it coming."

"Did you?"

"Son, your choice of literature was a dead giveaway from day one. Did you honestly think we _wouldn't_ end up seeing your books?", his father said, one eyebrow raised. Scorpius could feel his blush deepening.

Persie started laughing hysterically and Scorpius wanted to die.

The holidays were sort of normal, even if he hadn't gotten a letter from Rose or Albus other than a quiet note that came with Persie's letters from Lily and Hugo - they were alright, even if their parents were a bit fussy and unwilling to let them communicate until this was _cleared,_ like it was some sort of dirt. Persie wanted to pick up her broom and hex their parents, more furious about this subject than Scorpius was.

"It's not fair!", she screamed, letter crumpled in her fists, and Scorpius tried to calm her down, thankful their parents had decided to go on a date night. "Just - just because of who is your father, they're doing this!"

"Persie…", he gulped. "You're taking this… _Personally_."

"Of course I am, you're my brother, and if you aren't going to take this personally, I will,", she hissed, and turned. "I am _so_ scheming something for the Golden Trio. Just you wait."

He sighed, passing a hand through his hair.

"Just don't get yourself hurt,", he called, as she left his room.

"I won't!", she called back, and Scorpius took a deep breath, eyes going for the framed picture. He touched the images of his friends, and bid his time.

When the day they were supposed to come back to Hogwarts came, Scorpius, by his sister's suggestion, quietly goes to the third compartment, and sat down, alone, watching the outside quietly, wondering why this specific compartment and if his sister had anything planned.

He heard the door opening, and turned his head to find Albus and Rose there, the girl with her wand out already.

"Scorp.", Albus said, relaxing, and the boy in question smiled, the two entering as Rose set up more privacy spells than strictly necessary. "You won't believe some of the things I've heard during this break."

"Don't even have me start on how many cleansing potions I took,", Rose snarled, throwing herself on top of Scorpius, with Albus chuckling and sitting by his side, unbuttoning Scorpius shirt so he could have easier access to his neck, like some sort of vampire. Rose straddled his hips, one hand touching his cheek. "What about you? What did your parents do to you?"

Scorpius blushed, one hand in Rose's hips to secure her better, other hand blindly unbuttoning Albus' shirt.

"Er, they accepted everything pretty easily.", Scorpius said, deciding that his book collection best be left out. That made the two working on him - with _rousing_ success, if Scorpius could say so - stop.

"Are you trying to say that your parents didn't make you drink cleansing potions?"

"Nor did they lock you in your room and forced you to hear your grandma speak about how she had each one of your uncles?", Albus asked, and Rose rolled away, crossing her arms.

"I want to be adopted by your family, Scorp,", she huffed, and Scorpius laughed as she kicked off her shoes. "Alright, since I was the only one who suffered, I want to be kissed. Thoroughly, mind you. To work, quick."

Albus and Scorpius looked at each other and grinned.

The following day, Lily and Hugo receive letters wondering if they have _anything_ to do with the glitter bomb their parents received via letter, and Persie and Lily looked oddly smug about the whole ordeal.


	7. Chapter 7

"This is the _worst_ plan you've ever had, Persie,", Scorpius hissed, flying near Persie. He had never gotten the hang of brooms, not really. Persie stuck her tongue out, the looming Burrow coming into their view, only one window illuminated.

"This is the only plan I could come up after a week of thinking, Scorpius,", she hissed back, stopping near the window and knocking, Lily's worried face hurriedly opening the window and hurrying them inside, where Hugo and Molly were as well, Roxanne standing near the door with heavy pockets. Scorpius imagined it was something for Persie's mysterious plan she had been cooking.

He waved to them, and sat down, their brooms resting against the windowsill with a third one, Lily turning off the lights and illuminating the space with the faintest Lumos. His wand was in his pocket, and the bag on his back was expanded, thanks to a combination of charms he got from Rose and Albus. According to Persie, everything they'd need for the summer was inside.

"So, here's the plan,", Lily said in calm yellowish-orange, hands clasped together. "Scorpius, you stay here. Hugo, you got the drums, you make noise. When you hear doors opening, Roxy, throw the Peruvian Powder, and me and Persie rescue the two from their rooms, since Molly dear got the right unlocking spell. We bring them here, the three of you run away to aunt Luna's house, where Lorcan is waiting, and he has the rest of the instructions."

He looked at his sister, who shrugged. That overly complicated plan had taken her a week? What would have a _month_ done to it? Scorpius was almost afraid to ask.

Still, it was the only suitable plan they had after they had learned - through a letter from Lily to Persie - that Molly Weasley _still_ thought it an issue that Rose and Albus dated, so she took it into her own hands during summer to avoid contact between the two - by locking them in their rooms like some muggle fairy tale about princess in towers, but with less royalty and less towers. Persie and Lily cooked the plan, and today they'd be doing it justice.

"Alright, let's go,", Lily said, rising up and helping Hugo carry his drums, while Roxanne stayed close to the door, Persie leaving with Molly, the two discussing in low tones magic. Scorpius felt a bit useless, compared to the younger kids, but still.

Hugo started playing the drums, and when people started shifting inside their rooms, sounds popping off like small colorful explosions, Roxanne, casually, rolled two black balls into the floor, darkness seeping in thick and tight, a third of the Peruvian Powder balls in her hand just lying in wait for it to thin.

He heard Molly's blinding white voice at the same time Lily and Persie came in with Rose and Albus, both sleepy and dressed in pajamas, Roxanne lazily throwing another solid cloud of darkness in the hallway as Scorpius quickly kissed his partners, silently urging them outside in the brooms. Before they headed off, however, he tipped off an imaginary hat to the group inside as Persie hissed they should be going.

"Where, now?", Rose yawned in gold, lazily flying in the same direction was going. Albus seemed to catch up, at least.

"Aunt Luna's, maybe?", he said, brightly blue, passing a hand through his bed hair. Scorpius just nodded, going for the door that spilled light into the darkness, a dark shade in front of it. He arrived to find Lorcan wearing just pants, and did his best not to stare.

"Hello, cousin,", he waved, speaking in his normal forest green, smiling, and playing with a length of rope in his free hand as the trio unmounted their brooms, passing the rope to them, the trio carefully grabbing it. "Persie was a dear to contact me, and I've made arrangements with my brother, Lysander. He'll surely help you two. The password, by the way, is _synesthesia._ "

Scorpius did his best to suppress a smile, and checked if Rose and Albus were alright before activating the Portkey, disappearing to Merlin knew where to try and escape Molly Weasley.

Sure, they hadn't left the parents behind clueless - their younger siblings would deliver letters explaining what had happened, but not where they'd be spending their summer as a precaution - in the past year, Minister Granger-Weasley had accepted their relationship very well, even if First Consort, mr. Weasley, hadn't, mostly grumbling about _ferrets_. Scorpius wasn't sure what that meant.

Mr and Mrs. Potter, meanwhile, had had sat down with Scorpius and stared at him until he had blurted all his intentions towards their son and niece. That had been a bit pathetic, but it had been better than his terrifying talk with the Minister.

The trio landed in a small grassy hill, the starry sky illuminating the space they had landed, sprawled into each other.

"Now that's what I call a landing,", said a familiar voice, dark green, and Scorpius rose his eyes to meet with Lorcan.

No, the colour was too dark to be Lorcan. As such, that must've been…

"Lysander?", Scorpius asked, and the boy smiled.

"The one and only. Didn't Lorcan warn you guys?", he replied, approaching as the trio rose up. Scorpius cleaned his clothes as best as he could, and Lysander smiled, cat-like. Albus nudged closer to Rose, and Rose stared at "Anyway, welcome to _Hammeu de Millefeuille_. Small wizarding village, really, but pretty popular with students. You guys won't even be noticed here."

Scorpius doubted, considering Beauxbatons' students all knew each other, probably, but nodded.

"That's nice to know, but were we will be staying?", Albus asked, one arm possessively around Scorpius shoulders. Lysander kept his cat-like smile.

"Oh, at grandpa's. He offered you the attic, but he did say there might be an infestation or another. Wrackspurts? Toads? I can't seem to remember.", Lysander seemed pretty satisfied with that turn of events, guiding the trio away from the grassy hill they had arrived on, bags on their backs.

Scorpius felt like Persie and Lily had sent him, Rose and Albus into enemy territory, but the enemy territory was better than Molly Weasley's house. Possibly, depending on what animal the infestation was about.

The village seemed pretty bubbly, and Scorpius, moving through the shadows, could see many people of either his age or close to it in the magical pubs, shops open and illuminated with the soft glow of candles even far in the night.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many Wrackspurts around someone,", Lysander hummed, as they turned left. Scorpius could see the fight brewing in Rose and Albus, and the boy chuckled. "Calm down, I have no interest in Scorpius"

"It's better you don't, pretty boy,", Rose hissed, taking a chuckle out of Lysander. They turn right, then left, and arrive into a small building, tall and painted in a dark colour. Lysander simply opened the door with a spell, revealing a dark hallway, and nodded to them to move inside. "Where are we?"

"Grandpa's house, of course.", Lysander replied, motioning they go upstairs.

"Isn't your grandpa…?", Scorpius started, and stopped himself when he heard a door open. A small animal, a cross between a fox and a cat, passed by, and Lysander purred to it.

"Great-grandpa, actually, and yes. Don't try to get an autograph, although; he's out traveling.", Lysander let the animal pass, and kept moving through the surprisingly labyrinthine house, rising up a set of stairs hidden behind the door the creature had come from. "Anyway, you're going to have to stay in the same room, since the attic has no walls, but Lorcan tells me you guys won't mind."

Scorpius blushed, and Albus and Rose grabbed his hands, both staring at Scorpius' cousin, who simply smiled.

Rose was the first to speak, golden and cautious.

"Sorry, it's the habit.", they turned right, arriving in a small landing that only had one door, and turned right, going upstairs once more. Scorpius was pretty sure the building didn't seem so tall when he first arrived.

"Yeah, your brother seems to be always flirting with Scorp here,", Albus continued, taking a green laugh out of Lysander, when he stopped walking. They had ended up in front of a door decorated with carved snakes and panthers, and Lysander opened it with a spell, revealing a room decorated sparsely, a four poster bed and a writing desk, and that was it. His cousin smiled as the three of them adentered it.

"Here you all are. A snake-infested attic, your room for this time. I'll pick you guys up tomorrow, and I can show you around the town, if you'd like. The bookstores are pretty well stocked, cousin."

Scorpius and Rose looked at each other, grinning, and Albus sighed.

"Looks like we won't be going elsewhere, mate.", Albus said, putting his arms around their shoulders, and the smirk Lysander offered was dangerous.

The next morning, Lysander guided them through the small village, the sunlight bright against the cobblestone path they were guided through, pointing out the small shops ("there's a nice corner for making out there, but I'm not sure all three of you would fit." "I know I don't know you, but have you ever thought about shutting up? Just once?"), and stopping in front of the library, that, to Scorpius, resembled Gringotts. Whoever, instead of angry goblins holding spears, there were windows showing the interior, a sea of books just in front of his eyes.

Scorpius grabbed his partners' hands and went inside, Lysander's "I'll be outside" barely heard as the trio braved through a sea of books. Albus seemed to be having fun watching Rose and Scorpius discuss what books would be best, although, butting in with books that were unrelated, but had funny titles. Scorpius and Rose soon forgot their original objective, engaging in Albus' made up competition of funniest title.

In the end, Rose won with _Why didn't I die when the Augurey cried,_ but there was a sticker in the cover that covered everything after _when_ to _Augurey,_ resulting in _Why didn't I die when I cried,_ and Albus wheezed for so long Scorpius wondered if maybe he shouldn't brush up his basic knowledge of healing spells.

After that, they'd left the bookstore - the trio was actually booted out for being a disturbance, but anyway - and got their hands in a few baked goods and a thermos of tea, and left to a river embankment, laying on the ground, the sunlight fading slowly as they ate. When the night came, it found the trio laying lazily under the starry sky, fireflies buzzing around them in the softest greenish white Scorpius had ever seen. Albus was nuzzled against him, Rose laying on top of his chest, and Scorpius couldn't help but wonder...

"Do we have to leave?", Rose asked, sitting up, worriedly gold, as if she had, somehow, read his mind. Scorpius and Albus looked at each other, sitting up, and Albus touched Rose's hand softly. "I mean, logically, yeah, _sure_. But do we?"

"We could live here,", Scorpius started, sighing. "And then your mom would declare war against France. And Al's dad would just… I don't know, _Aurorify_ his way to us or something. "

Albus cracked a smile.

"Dark Lady Hermione does have a nice ring to it,", Albus hummed, getting a mock slap from Rose. "Hey, isn't it the truth?"

"The truth is forbidden from now on,", Rose declared in a proud gold, and smiled, rising up from her seat and cleaning her clothes with a quick spell. "Alright, enough of this depressing talk. I saw a nice pub on the way here, and I propose we all go get some butterbeers. What do you guys say?"

Albus and Scorpius looked to each other, and Scorpius rose up, helping Albus as the trio went in the direction Rose pointed.

Scorpius smiled to himself, letting his steps fall behind, and took a deep breath as he watched Rose and Albus animatedly enter a discussion or another. Things maybe weren't alright - they were running away from their problems, after all -, but this was, at least.

"Hey, Scorp, I don't think the pub has a delivery service yet!", Albus called out, and Scorpius grinned.

"Yeah, come on!", Rose grinned, and Scorpius went to catch up, smiling. Everything would end up well, even if he had to make it so.


End file.
